Car-coupling.



w. McCONWAY, in. a w. 1. REGAN.

CAR COUPLING.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 24, i914.

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WILLIAM MCCONWAY, JR., AND WILLIAM J. 0F PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA,

ASSIGNORS TO MCCONWAY & TORLEY COMPANY, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYL- VANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

CAR-COUPLING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 27, 1915.

Application filed June 2% 191 1. Serial No. 846,950.

of car couplers, and while generally applicable to all classes of couplers wherein it is desired to provide means whereby the sagging or drooping of the coupler head resulting from the wear of tires, permanent set of springs or other causes may be readily compensatedfor, is especially designed to afford such means of compensation or vertical adjustment for short shank pivoted couplers with which locomotives and locomotive tenders are customarily equipped.

Ourinvention, generally stated, involves the combination with a supporting bracket or coupler pocket member which is adapted to be secured to the end sill or other appropriate part of a car body, of a spring seat which is capable of a lateral swinging movement with respect to the bracket or coupler pocket, a coupler which is movable in the direction of its length with respect to the spring seat and bracket member and which is also pivotally movable with respect to the latter, and spring means which are mounted upon the spring seat device and which yieldingly resist bufling movements of the coupler, the spring seat device being capable of assembly with thebracket mem ber and'coupler in a plurality of different relations to thereby alter the vertical height of the coupler.

There are other features of invention, relating to particular combinations of the several elements and to matters of structural form, all as will hereinafter appear.

'In the drawings illustrating the invention, the scope whereof is defined by the appended claims, Figure 1 is a plan view of a coupler embodying our invention; Fig. 2 is a view, taken on the line 22,Fig. 4, showing the bracket member and the pivotally mounted spring seat in horizontal section, the coupler and the yielding means for resisting bulfing shocks being shown in plan; Fig. 3 is a View, partly in side elevation and partly in vertical central section, of the devices illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2; Fig. 4: is a vertical section, taken on the line 4 1, Fig. 1, the coupler being shown in its lowermost position of adjustment; Fig. 5 is a view corresponding to Fig. 4, but illustrating the relative positions of the several parts when the coupler is in its upper position of adjustment; Fig. 6 is a detail per spective view of the reversible spring seat; and Fig. 7 is a detail vertical sectional view of the spring seat. r

In the drawings, 1 indicates the head and 2 indicates the shank of a coupler of the vertical plane or Master Car Builders type. The special form of construction of these parts is not material to our invention, except that the shank 2 of the coupler should be such as to be capable of being pivotally connected to the coupler pocket or bracket member 3 and be-adapted to operatively receive or engage the spring member i'that is mounted upon and movable with the pivoted spring seat 5. In the form in which we prefer to embody our invention, however, the shank 2 ofv the coupler is preferably slotted or bifurcated so as to form upper and lower rearwardly extending arms or branches 2 that are adapted to receive between them a plurality of spring plates or leaf springs which constitute the spring means 4 carried by the spring seat 5. The rear end of each of the arms 2 of the coupler shank is provided with an elongated slot 2 forthe reception of a pivot pin 6 by which the coupler 1 and spring seat 5 are pivotally conneeted'to the coupler pocket or bracket member 3, the elongated pivot pin openings 2 thus permitting the coupler to.

have a movement in the direction of its length as well as a laterally swinging movement with respectto the bracket member. The bracket member 3 by which this draft appliance is secured to the car is preferably formed with a forwardly extending flaring pocket or recess 3 that is adapted to receive and permit lateral movement of the shank 2 of the coupler and the cooperating spring seat member 5. The upper and lower walls of the recess 3 are perforated as at 3 for the reception of the pivot pin 6, and the outer portions 3 of the lateral walls of the said recess or pocket are preferably so formed as to engage the corresponding exterior faces of the spring seat 5 and thus serve as stops for limiting the lateral swinging movements of the spring seat member and coupler.

The spring seat 5, which is of somewhat less height than the height of the pocket 3* in the bracket member 3, is preferably fashioned with a rounded rear end 5 that is adapted to bear against the rounded base of the pocket 3 in all positions which the coupler may assume, the bufling shocks imparted to the coupler being thus transmitted to the bracket member 8 through the intermediacy of the spring seat, as will presently appear; and the spring seat 5 is also provided with a pivot pin opening 5 for the reception of the pivot pin 6. The forward end of the spring seat 5 is adapted to receive and support the spring means I, so that said means may be operatively interposed between the spring seat and the coupler. To this end, where plate springs are used, as is preferably the case, the member 5 may be conveniently provided with a transversely extending vertical face 5 that is adapted to form a bearing for resisting the bufiing force of the spring plates and it may also be provided with horizontal seats or shoulders 5 which, in conjunction with one or the other of the arms 2 of the coupler shank, serve to prevent the leaf springs or the spring means 4c from moving vertically when the device is in service. Lateral displacement of the spring means 4 with respect to the spring seat member 5 may be prevented by forming the said spring seats with lateral walls 5 which extend forwardly beyond the abutment 5 sufficiently far to overlap the ends of the several leaf springs.

In order that the coupler may be capable of longitudinal movements with respect to the spring seat 5 while yet imparting its swinging movements to the said spring seat, the latter is preferably fashioned with parallel longitudinally extending vertical faces 5 which are adapted to have slidable engagement with the corresponding vertical faces of one or the other of the arms 2 of the coupler shank 2, according to the assembled relations of the parts of the device. In order that the lower branch 2 of the bifurcated coupler shank may be efliciently supported in a vertical direction when the parts are assembled so as to elevate the coupler, as illustrated in Fig. 5 of the drawings, the sides of the spring seat 5 between the faces 5 thereof are preferably connected by a base plate 5 This construction also serves to increase the strength of the pivotal connection of the spring seat and the bracket member 3 and likewise results in increasing the area of bearing contact of the spring seat and bracket member for resisting bull'- ing shocks.

It is preferred that the recess in the spring seat for receiving the spring means 4 shall be open on one side, as well as open at the front, for this permits the plate springs to be very easily assembled in proper position in the spring seat 5 and, moreover, the vertical height of the spring seat and the device as a whole is thereby somewhat decreased.

As shown in the drawings, the plate springs, which together constitute the spring means 4, are preferably bowed outwardly between their ends the forward spring plate being in contact with the face 1 of the coupler head that extends between the arms 2 of the coupler shank 2.

In assembling the device the plate springs are placed in proper position in the spring seat 5 and the latter, together with the springs, is then slipped on the bifurcated shank of the coupler. The springs, spring seat and coupler shank, thus assembled, are then inserted in the pocket 3 of the bracket member 3 and the pivot pin 6 is passed through the several pivot pin openings. The method of adjusting the vertical height of the coupler will be very readily appreciated upon an inspection of Figs. 4c and 5 of the drawings. To alter the vertical height of the coupler it is only necessary to remove the pivot pin 6, withdraw the coupler shank and spring seat from the coupler pocket, turn over the spring seat member and then reassemble the parts in the manner heretofore described.

We claim:

1. In a device of the character indicated, the combination with a bracket member which is adapted to be secured to the body of a car, of a spring seat which is cap-able of pivotal movement with respect to said bracket member, means for pivotally connecting said bracket member and spring seat, a coupler which is movable in the direction of its length with respect to said spring seat, and spring means operatively interposed between said coupler and spring seat for yieldingly resisting a bufiing movement of said coupler, said spring seat being capable of assembly in a plurality of different positions withrespect to said bracket member and coupler, and said spring means being intersected by the longitudinal axis of the coupler.

2. In a device of the character indicated, the combination with pivotally connected members, of a coupler which is movable in the direction of its length with respect to said pivotally connected members and which engages and is held from lateral movement with respect to one of said pivotally connected members, and spring means i operatively interposed between said coupler and one of said pivotally connected members and adapted to yieldingly resist a buifing movement of said coupler.

3. In a device of the character indicated, the combination with pivotally connected members, of spring means mounted upon and movable with one of said members, and a coupler which is longitudinally movable with respect to said pivotally connected members, said spring means being capable of yielding longitudinally with respect to said coupler and being adapted to resist bufiing movements of said coupler.

4. In a device of the character indicated, the combination with a bracket member which is provided with a pocket having flaring side-walls, of a laterally swinging spring seat mounted in said pocket and adapted to engage the said sidewalls thereof to thereby limit the extent of swinging movement of said spring seat, spring means mounted upon said spring seat, and a coupler extending into said pocket and longitudinally movable with respect thereto.

5. In a device of the character indicated, the combination with a bracket member, of a spring seat movably mounted thereon, spring means moimted on said spring seat, and a coupler which is only movable longitudinally with respect to said spring seat, said spring means being adapted to resist longitudinal movement of said coupler, and said spring seat being capable of assembly in a plurality of positions.

6. In a device of the character indicated, the combination with a bracket member, of a spring seat pivotally connected thereto, spring means mounted upon said spring seat, and a coupler engaging said spring means and slidably engaging said spring seat, said spring means comprising a plurality of spring plates which are compressible in the direction of longitudinal movement of the coupler.

7 In a device of the character indicated, the combination with a bracket member which is provided with a flaring pocket, of a spring seat pivotally connected to said bracket member and capable of swinging laterally within said pocket, spring means carried by the said spring seat, and a bifurcated coupler which is movable in the direction of its length and which engages said spring means and said spring seat, said spring means extending into the bifurcation of said coupler.

8. In a device of the character indicated, the combination with a bracket member, of a spring seat pivotally connected thereto, spring means engaging said spring seat, and a coupler engaging said spring means and adapted to cause a pivotal movement of said spring seat, said spring means comprising a plurality of spring plates, and said spring seat being capable of assembly in a plurality of positions and having an abutment for resisting rearward movement of said spring plates and also having stops for preventing lateral displacement of said spring plates.

9. In a device of the character indicated, the combination with a bracket member, of a spring seat pivotally connected thereto, spring means mounted on said spring seat, and a coupler which engages said spring means and which is longitudinally and pivotally movable with respect to said bracket and longitudinally movable with respect to said spring seat, said spring means comprising a plurality of spring plates, and said spring seat having longitudinally extending parallel faces which are adapted to engage the shank of the coupler and having an abutment for resisting rearward movement of said spring plates and having a recess for the reception of said spring plates which is open on one side and also at the front.

10. In a device of the character indicated, the combination with a bracket member, of a coupler provided with a shank formed of a plurality of rearwardly extending arms, and means adapted to engage and be assembled in a plurality of relations with respect to said bracket member and coupler to thereby vary the height of said coupler, said means being provided with a slot through which either of the said arms of the coupler shank is adapted to extend.

In testimony whereof we aflix our signatures, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM MGCONWAY, JR. WVILLIAM J. REGAN. Witnesses:

WILLIAM G. STONE, JAS. MILLER, Jr.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner! of Patents, Washington, D. 0. 

